Mandatory solar panels in one German town

A lot has been going on recently in Germany when it comes to solar, from various companies investing heavily in photovoltaics to the government's shrinking solar subsidy.

But this weekend, the small town of Marburg passed a law that will require all new houses and those whose roofs or heating systems are being renovated to install 1 square meter of solar panels for every 20 square meters of roof, effective October 1.

The town, which has about 80,000 residents, has mostly supported the decision made by the Social Democrats and Greens, but the opposition leaders are crying, saying that to force people to build with solar panels equates to a "green dictatorship," and that "nobody dares to say anything."

Considering Germany's recent past, drawing such obvious parallels seems grossly inappropriate, especially for an initiative that will benefit both the environment and humanity.

The average panels needed to comply with the law would cost about €5,000 per home, with a payback of 15 years. For those who choose to skirt the law, they can expect a €1,000 fine, much less than the €15,000 that was bandied about.

This is not the first such initiative in Germany. Last year the government of Baden-Wurtemberg started requiring that all new houses built had to generate 20% of their heating through renewable energies, with regulations tightening in 2010.

Similar plans are popping up in the U.S., including California's 1 Million Roofs initiative. With such new technology, laws encouraging or regulating it are bound to be hit and miss with the public for awhile.

via physorg